WE ROCK!!!*

*See title.

BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE!!!

It’s going to be a long 2 weeks with Linda back in Memphis. H1 and DIL1 are back in Houston, probably until Christmas. H2 is waiting for a doctor appointment next week. I’m waiting for Linda to return, next time for 2 ½ weeks!

Kenny called me to invite me out with him and Ellie tomorrow night. To go to church! On a Thursday! WOW! Knock me over with a feather! Of course I said ‘Yes’.

Molly continues to get bigger and cuter every day. Red hair and blue eyes! What a combination. If you look at pictures of her and of BB at the same age, you can’t tell them apart. It’s like they’re twins, born 5 years apart.

Did I mention that Ian is tops in his class? He was the lone straight “A” student during the last marking period. Way to go, Ian!!! Keep up the good work!

Patti returns to work in two weeks. I’m really going to miss the lunches. I hope we can get a couple more in before she starts.

A reminder from your local Knights of Columbus… “Keep Christ In Christmas!” Words to live by. He is the reason for the season. You get to take Christmas off from work, not “Holiday”. “Oh, goody. Monday is “Holiday” and I don’t have to come to work.” Of course, what the liberal left don’t seem to realize is that “holiday” comes from “holy day” so it’s still a religious observance whether they like it or not!

Here’s an outlandish thought. Since the 12 days of Christmas begins on December 25th and ends on January 5th (the day before Epiphany), why not keep those decorations up for the whole Christmas season. I mean, so many people put them up for Advent, and then on December 26th the curbs are lined with discarded trees. I guess once the gifts are opened, Christmas is over… NOT!!
Well, I’ve rambled long enough to maybe make myself sleepy. Wishing you all a spirit filled Advent, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year

WHAT'S THE BUZZ? TELL ME WHAT'S HAPPENING!

A postscript to the last blog entry… Major Dad made a BIG dish of potato salad (which, by the way, is to die for) for the Christening party, but it was never served. What a shame, ‘cause Linda and I had to go back to P&J’s on Sunday for, you guessed it, potato salad. We were forced to enjoy, along with the potato salad, London broil (delicious) and bbq’d chicken (also delicious). Oh, how we do suffer!!!

Please pray for Chris’ continued recovery. She is doing well and we look forward to seeing her again VERY soon.

Good news for me, too! For those of you who know of my recent medical history, my neurosurgeon took a look at my MRIs taken last week and says I’m A-OK and don’t need to see him anymore, and don’t need an annual MRI, either!

H2 has an appointment in two weeks to see the same neurosurgeon, so please include him and his continued health in your prayers, as well.

We’re looking forward to an excellent weekend! First, it’s Linda’s birthday weekend, which means that Friday I go with her to the Covington Craft Fair across the lake in Covington, LA. Second, H1 and DIL1 are coming in again to attend a friend’s wedding, so we’ll get to see them, too. And C: (hehehe, I know it’s supposed to be “Third,” deal with it!) Linda and I are going to dinner with Ellie’s folks, which we’re really looking forward to.

Recent surveys indicate that at least 1/3 of the current population of New Orleans and Jefferson Parish are considering moving out of the area within the next two years. It also reported that 57% of Orleanians and 83% of Jeffersonians are satisfied with life as it is today.

Murders and violent crime are on the rise in New Orleans, as well as on the West Bank of Jefferson Parish. The West Bank population is bursting at the seams since Katrina, as people returning to NOLA settled where the least damage had occurred. As should have been expected, those returning included a less than desirable element of the former population.

Unsolicited plug: Whole Foods Market’s “Berry Chantilly Cake” is, bar none, the BEST!!! ‘Nuff said!!!

I guess I’ve rambled long enough. As we begin Advent this weekend, I wish everyone the best Christmas and New Year ever… Together let’s Keep Christ in CHRISTmas!!!
God bless!!

SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING

This weekend marks the end of the liturgical year. Next Sunday is the 1st Sunday of Advent. It is a time to reflect on how we are living our lives as Christians. It's a time for penitence, and a time for looking forward in anticipation to the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I pray that during the 4 weeks of Advent leading up to Christmas you will find the peace and joy of Christ in your lives. I pray, too, that throughout the hustle and bustle of the "real" world, you will not be distracted from what truly matters in this, or any, season. May love of God and love of neighbor rank first and second on your Christmas wish list.

Molly Grace was Christened today. We welcome our newest little Christian into the family that is the Church of Christ. She was, and is, a precious little bundle of joy.

It was good to see Heath and Emily with their kids, in from Chattanooga, and Heath's parents Chris and Keith. H1 and DIL1 were headed back to Houston right after the Christening so that H1 could go to work tomorrow, but H2 convinced them to stay one more day. We miss them bunches, so we'll take whatever days we can get.

Although K'Leen had to return to Orlando for a UCF football game, it was truly wonderful to see her over the Thanksgiving holiday. The rest of the family stayed for the Christening. It's been a great visit so far. I wish they could stay a little longer.

Patti and Jerrod put on a grand spread for the post-Christening party. Their friends David and Shauna were there, and Dan and Jack made an appearance as well. BB's friend Mya and her Mom and brother were also in attendance.

KenEllie and Ian, and Matt and Brian rounded out the family members, and Justin and Britney, friends of H2 and Kenny were there as well. All in all it was a well attended affair, and a great way to bring Molly G into the fold. Seeing the whole family together over the last few days has been awesome! Almost like old times... you know... Pre-K...

Please include H2 and Chris, along with a NY friend, Elaine, in your prayers for good health. Also, please pray for June's sister, Madge, who passed recently into the next world and is now at peace. Thanks for all the prayers!!

Take care and God bless!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

SEMPER FI

Rodney has gone to his final resting place. His funeral mass was AWESOME!! There were about 40 deacons and 20 priests in attendance, as well as the Archbishop! And what a wonderful celebration of new life... Deacon "Boo" (Drea) gave a stirring homily about life as sacrament, about loving, caring and serving others (a perfect description of Rodney). Fr. Steve's reflections on Rodney were both humorous and touching, and Matt's letter to his Dad was perhaps one of the finest gifts a child can give his or her parent, a testimony of love and admiration.

Linda and I met Rodney and Janet at the beginning of our diaconate formation class back in 1995. Over the next four years we came to know and love them dearly. Their tremendous love for one another and for the Church, and their deeply profound faith in our Lord over the years, witnessed especially during the course of Rodney's illness has been truly inspirational. Rodney and Janet lived the Gospel message of love and hope. We love and will miss Rodney greatly. Our thoughts, prayers, and love are with Janet and her family as they try to adjust to a new life with Rodney watching over them from above.

Please hold up the entire Trahan family in your prayers this week. God bless you. We love you.

Happy Turkey Day!!!

Please, pray for the repose of the souls of Rodney and Andrew. Both began their new lives with our Lord yesterday. Also, please pray for comfort and solace for their families and friends.

Congrats to Little Lori (who doesn't read this blog). She, along with her husband Charlie, and two kids Abby and Cody have welcomed little Caleb into the world. And what a cute baby he is!! Of course, anyone who knows them wouldn't be surprised at all.

H2 is STILL in Houston. He needs an MRI now. Of course that was what the doctor told him two weeks ago, but when he went for one they decided to do an x-ray instead. So now, two weeks later he goes for the MRI. Hopefully he, along with H1 and DIL1 will make it home for Thanksgiving. That's the plan, anyway.

SIL and family are coming in from Orlando for Thanksgiving and for Molly's christening on Saturday. Haven't seen them in a while, so it'll be great to see them again. It will be a nice family gathering with everyone here. Hopefully we can get the house back in shape! Today was "day 1 of week 4" of the 5-day renovation of our two back bedrooms. At least they did finish it up (mostly) today, so we can begin moving the furniture back in.

One last prayer request for a dear friend, Chris. Pray for her health and a speedy recovery.
God bless you all, and have a happy Thanksgiving!!

YES, I'M A TRAVELIN' MAN

We're finally home again, Linda from Memphis, and me from Huntsille, AL. Thanks, AGAIN, to FL1. She took so much stress out of having to leave Maynard and Gumbo at home!! We really can't thank her enough! It was a tough week for me, what with going to the Software Acquisition Management course every day, reading and written assignments in the evenings, a storm front passing through mid-week, and being crammed into a tiny little room in the Army's version of the Navy lodge. To show you just how much I suffered, I'm including some pictures of my room(s). Are you suffering with me? No? Well, ok, I admit that the rooms were actually pretty nice. But that's not the whole picture. Not by a long shot!! Not for an email and internet addict like myself!! They advertise internet access, and there was a DSL modem in the room. However, the reason you aren't seeing this post days ago is because the internet access in my room was SLOWER than DIALUP, if you can imagine! I tried for over an hour to upload these photos, with no luck. Admittedly they're big files, but this morning it took all of 2 minutes. Fortunately, unlike the Navy, I was able to check my private email on the computer in class (during breaks, of course). Anyway, the course was good. I passed. YAY!! Then a 7 1/2 hour drive home in near perfect driving conditions. All in all, a pretty darn good week. I thank the Lord and everyone who prays for us that Linda and I were able to travel up and back safely. Now, prayer warriors, it's time to get H2 HOME!!! And, as a special treat for those of you, like myself, who just can't get enough of our latest little bundle of joy (and sleepless nights)...

TAT-DA!!!

I know, I've been remiss... There's been a lot going on in our lives. The back bedrooms project is not done, Linda is back in Memphis and I'm in Huntsville, Alabama for a week... H2 is STILL in Houston with back/leg/sciatic nerve issues with no return to NOLA any time soon projected.

FL1 is doing us the HUGE favor of housesitting and pet sitting while we're gone. We can't thank her enough!!

Major Dad finished his tat this week. Here's how it turned out.

Potpourri

The bedroom construction continues... no end in sight! The house looks like a war zone, with two rooms of bedroom furniture everywhere. Still hoping for a Tuesday wrap-up, but it's not looking too good at the moment.

H2 is in Houston for the weekend. He, H1 and DIL1 are going to a HUGE bike rally in Galveston this weekend. I wish I could have joined them, but work, as usual, gets in the way. We (KenEllie, Patti and kids, and Linda) all got together for dinner at China Doll and had a very nice time.

Major Dad is almost finished with his AWESOME tattoo!! I will post when I get a good pic of the finished product. It consists of St. Michael and St. Gabriel, with a St. Brigid cross between them, and the bottom is roses (Blessed Virgin Mary). The artist has done a really good job on it, and it looks great.

DIL1's computer took a hit, so H1 bought her a laptop. I hope it arrives soon, so she can update her blog... Looking forward to hearing about the rally.

Linda and I attended the funeral of the wife of a deacon classmate of ours. She has returned home to our Lord and I'm sure is now watching over us. We ask you to join us in praying for the repose of the soul of our friend Hilda.

Work continues to get crazier and crazier. It's the old cliché of "doing more with less" that's almost comical if I wasn't living it. More and more tasks are piled on daily as the government moves to consolidate all it's IT assets, tighten IT security and establish control over the entire Navy's IT environment, yet budgets continue to be cut, and staffing continues to diminish.

More kudos to Big John... He reports that he's still got perfect church attendance. Great work, Janet! Keep him honest!! Prayer warriors, please pray for John's brother who is nearing the end of this part of his life's journey. May the Lord ease his pain and suffering, and bring some measure of peace, comfort and solace to his family.

A quick "HI" to Keith and Chris. Just want you to know that we think of you often, though we don't see each other nearly as often as we should. Hope all is well in Slidell (ooh, ooh, a rhyme...) and let's get together soon, ok?

Well, it's late, so I guess I'd better turn in before Linda comes out looking for me. God's blessings to everyone.